OS X has built-in support for Windows through a utility called Boot Camp. With it, you can turn your Mac into a dual-boot system with both OS X and Windows installed. Free (all you need is a Windows installation media -- disc or.ISO file -- and a valid license, which is not free). Runs Windows using the full system potential of your Mac. Dec 5, 2017 - If you want to install Windows on your Mac, you have two options. You can either use Mac Boot Camp, a native feature of the macOS operating.
If you're switching from PC to Mac and aren't comfortable with the big change yet, if you're a dual-computer user and want to work on both Windows and macOS, or if you just want options, you can run Windows on your Mac and have the best of both worlds on one screen. There are a couple of options out there for getting Windows on your Mac, and even older Macs can support Windows if you know the trick. Here's my advice for the best way to run Windows on your Mac.
Running Boot Camp is the best if you have the space
Installing a licensed copy of Windows on your Mac's internal hard drive by partitioning it and using Boot Camp is the best way to run Windows on your Mac. The main reason is performance. When you've got Windows directly on your internal drive, you don't have to jump through all of the additional communication lines the way you would using an external drive or a virtual machine.
This is especially important for gamers. If you're playing a Windows game on your Mac, the last thing you want is lag. It's a killer (digitally literally). Having Windows right on your internal hard drive is more stable and reliable.If your Mac has plenty of internal storage (at least 32GB, but really, much more), you should consider partitioning your hard drive and installing Windows using Boot Camp.
Running a virtual machine works great and you don't need to partition your hard drive
Though I recommend installing Windows on your Mac's internal hard drive, that doesn't mean there aren't alternative methods that aren't just as awesome, even if a little (very little) slower.
That's where virtual machines come in. A virtual machine is a software simulation of a real operating system. You can install a virtual machine on your Mac just like any other program. When you launch it, you'll see a Windows desktop on your screen, complete with everything you know and love about Windows.
If you're not planning on playing a bunch of graphics-heavy Windows-only games on Steam, a virtual machine is a perfect option. It's also easier to acces once you've installed a program.
If your Mac is limited on storage, don't split it up and take away precious space you might need in the future, run a virtual machine instead.
There are a couple of different virtual machine programs on the market. These are two of my favorites:
What to do if your Mac doesn't support BootCamp anymore
If you've decided to run BootCamp on your Mac, but it turns out your desktop or laptop is too old, you might get a notification that reads, 'This version of Boot Camp is not intended for this computer model.'
Basically, Apple no longer supports Boot Camp on that model of Mac. The good news is, there's a workaround that involves forcing the install. You'll need to do a little bit of coding, but it's not too difficult, and this guide will walk you through every step:
How to troubleshoot Bootcamp issues with High Sierra
When macOS High Sierra launched, it brought with it a couple of little quirks that are still being figured out, one of them is an issue with running Boot Camp. If you get an error message midway through trying to run Boot Camp on your Mac running macOS High Sierra, check out our guide to fixing the issue.
Any questions?
Do you have any questions about running Windows on a Mac? Please let me know and I'll try to help you troubleshoot.
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Apple offers a variety of apps that can be quite alluring to Windows PC users, and you don’t have to buy a brand new machine to try them. Using a program called VirtualBox, you can run Apple’s OS X on your Intel-based PC. This will be a complete version of OS X, allowing you to run Apple-specific software like Mac apps and programs.
Initial Installations and Downloads
1.Download and install VirtualBox and the VirtualBox Extension Pack (link available in Resources).
2.Download the Hackboot 1 and Hackboot 2 ISO files (link available in Resources). These ISOs will be used to start the OS X installer and the operating system itself, respectively.
4.Name the new virtual machine and set the Operating System box to Mac OS X and the Version box to “Mac OS X Server (64 bit).”
5.Use the slider to allocate RAM to your virtual machine; at least 4GB of RAM is a recommended.
6.Click “Next” and select “Create New Disk.” The program will return to its main menu.
7.Right-click the named OS X virtual machine and click “Settings.”
8.Uncheck the box next to 'Enable EFI' in the System tab. EFI is an alternative to BIOS but Windows machines are unable to use EFI to boot in VirtualBox as of August 2013.
9.Navigate to the Storage tab and click on the CD icon called Empty. Select “Choose a virtual CD/DVD disk file” and select the Hackboot 1 ISO. This sets your virtual machine to boot from Hackboot 1 the first time it starts up.
Installing OS X
1.Select your OS X virtual machine in the VirtualBox main menu.
2.Click “Start” in the toolbar and then click the CD icon at the bottom of your screen.
3.Click “Choose a virtual CD/DVD disk file” and select the ISO disc image of the Mountain Lion version of OS X.
4.Click on the main screen and press “F5” to refresh the program. An icon in the middle of your screen will now be labeled as “OS X Install DVD.”
5.Press the “Enter” key on your keyboard to bring up the OS X Installation screen.
6.Select your language and agree to the operating system’s terms. You will be taken to an installation page that gives you no hard drive installation option.
7.Click “Utilities” and then click “Disk Utility…” in the VirtualBox toolbar labeled OS X Installer.
8.Click on the VirtualBox hard drive, navigate to the Erase tab and click “Erase” to clean the virtual hard drive and allow OS X to be installed. None of your data will be lost by erasing the drive.
9.Close the Disk Utility window and click on the hard drive icon now in the middle of your screen.
10.Follow the on-screen steps to finish the OS X installation.
11.Click the CD icon at the bottom of your screen when the installation finishes and you see a black screen with white text. Select the Hackboot 2 ISO so your virtual machine will properly boot when you restart it.
13.Select the Apple icon and press “Enter” on your keyboard.
14.Follow the final on-screen instructions to setup Mac OS X. You can now use this virtual operating system to run any Mac programs on your Windows PC.
Things Needed
- A 64-bit Windows PC with 4GB of available RAM
- An ISO disc image of OS X Mountain Lion
Tip
- Since multiple downloads are required, it is best to keep a record of where each is located to make the installation process easier.
Warning
- You must allocate a minimum of 2GB of RAM to your virtual machine -- though at least 4GB is recommended -- but the majority of your RAM should remain allocated to your Windows installation in order to properly run VirtualBox and all of your other software.
References (3)
Resources (2)
About the Author
Geoff Whiting is a writer and copy editor who has specialized in business technology, consumer electronics and research reports since 2007. He has written for national magazines like 'American Shipper' and 'BIC Magazine,' has written daily news articles for FierceMarkets, and has crafted research reports for Rider Research, Intel and Spotify.
Cite this Article Choose Citation Style
Whiting, Geoff. 'How to Run Mac Programs on a Windows PC.' Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/run-mac-programs-windows-pc-72291.html. Accessed 18 October 2019.
Whiting, Geoff. (n.d.). How to Run Mac Programs on a Windows PC. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/run-mac-programs-windows-pc-72291.html
Whiting, Geoff. 'How to Run Mac Programs on a Windows PC' accessed October 18, 2019. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/run-mac-programs-windows-pc-72291.html
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